Tag: Sacramento Kings

Kings will move G League Team from Reno to Stockton for 2018-19 season

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G League (3)

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings announced on Monday their intention to move their G League franchise  – the Reno Bighorns – to Stockton for the 2018-19 season. This move would have their development team just 45 minutes away from Kings offices, coaches, training and medical staff. This also follows the pattern of the majority of teams in the NBA which have relocated their developmental league teams to within an hour driving distance of their organization’s main facilities.

“Our NBA G League team has been an incredible asset to help prepare players for NBA action and bringing the team closer to Sacramento will allow us to continue to build on that success and increase efficiency to this valuable development tool,” said Sacramento Kings General Manager Vlade Divac. “Kings fans in Stockton will now have an opportunity to see the next-generation of NBA players each week.”

skal
Skal Labissiere

The Kings have taken full advantage using players from the Reno team over the past two seasons. In 2017-18, the team sent several of its rookies to play with the Bighorns to gain some experience which they put to good use at the NBA level. Skal Labissiere and Malachi Richardson (now with the Toronto Raptors) both benefited greatly from their time with the Bighorns.

This season has seen the addition of the “two-way” players who can be on the NBA roster of their parent team and then must spend the remainder of their time playing in the G League. JaKarr Sampson and Jack Cooley have both made substantial contributions to the Kings during the regular season. Sacramento also signed Nigel Hayes from the Westchester Knicks to a two-year contract.

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Kings “two-way” player JaKarr Sampson

The Bighorns sent three players to three other NBA teams this season. David Stockton – who has also played for the Kings – was signed Utah Jazz. Reggie Hearn went to Detroit and Aaron Harrison was signed by the Mavericks.

Stockton is a very interesting choice because of its tremendous growth potential. With Bay Area housing prices soaring, people are willing to endure longer commutes in order to be able to buy a home. Stockton is projected to a desirable locale because of its freeway access and rail service to the Silicon Valley. That means potential fans for the G League team that could be cultivated into Sacramento Kings fans.

Stockton already has a very strong track record of supporting minor league sports teams. The Stockton Ports have played baseball in California League since its beginning in 1941 and are currently an affiliate of the Oakland Athletics. Stockton is also the home of the Heat of the American Hockey League who are affiliated with the Calgary Flames. The Heat and the G League team will share the same arena.

“It is my honor to welcome the Kings organization to Stockton and I look forward to watching NBA G League action at the Stockton Arena,” said Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs. “The Kings have been known for their tremendous impact in the community and we’re excited to have their support as we continue to reinvent Stockton.”

A four-time All-America City winner, with honors as recently as 2017, Stockton is California’s thirteenth largest city. Stockton Arena is located in the heart of the city’s downtown waterfront and entertainment center. The venue opened in 2005 and includes 24 luxury suites, seating for up to 12,000.

The Kings G League basketball operations will be headquartered at Kings former practice facility in Natomas next to the old arena. The business operations for the new team will be housed at the arena in Stockton.

Spurs reach NBA playoffs for 21st straight season, beat Kings 98-85

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Photo credit: @a2dradio_com

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Monday, April 9, 2018

An old friend came back to haunt his old team on Monday at AT&T Center in San Antonio.

Former Sacramento forward Rudy Gay scored 18 points – 16 in the second half – leading the playoff-bound Spurs past the Kings 98-85, clinching a Western Conference postseason berth for the 21st consecutive season.

Gay, who added six rebounds off the Spurs’ bench, opted out his contract with the Kings last summer and signed with San Antonio (47-34).

Willie Cauley-Stein paced Sacramento with 25 points and 10 rebounds. De’Aaron Fox contributed 21 points and seven assists and Buddy Hield added 17 points for the Kings (26-55).

40-year-old Manu Ginobili popped in 17 points (on 5-of-11 shooting) to go with six rebounds, a steal and five assists; and LaMarcus Aldridge added 15 points and 14 boards for San Antonio.

Sacramento led most of the way, as the Spurs didn’t take their first lead until the 10:18 mark of the fourth quarter. The Kings, who led by as many as 14 points, still held a 77-75 lead with 6:31 remaining until San Antonio closed the game with a 23-8 run.

Ginobili scored or assisted on 14 of those final 23 Spurs points.

Kings’ rookie Bogdan Bogdanovic struggled against the Spurs, hitting 1 of 8 field goal attempts and finishing with two points. Another key to San Antonio’s win was the free throw line – the Spurs hit 24 of 29 at the stripe, while the Kings were 11 of 17.

Up Next: The Kings conclude the regular season with a home game versus the Houston Rockets Wednesday at 7:30 pm PT.

Suns hold off late Kings rally for rare 97-94 victory

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Photo credit: @NBA

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Tuesday, April 3, 2018

Despite a late rally by the Sacramento Kings, the Phoenix Suns held on and picked up their 20th win of the season by edging the Kings 97-94 Tuesday at the Talking Stick Resort Arena.

The rare victory snapped a franchise-worst 15-game losing streak for the Suns, who possess the NBA’s worst record at 20-59. It was the Suns’ first victory overall since Feb. 28 and their first win at home since defeating Dallas on Jan. 31.

Phoenix will finish with its second-lowest single-season win total ever in the team’s 50-year history unless it wins all three remaining games. The Suns won 16 games as a 1968-69 expansion team.

Josh Jackson led the Suns with 28 points – 18 in the first half. Alex Len contributed 17 points and 15 rebounds, and Tyler Ulis added 13 points and nine assists, as Phoenix held the Kings to 37 percent shooting from the field.

Sacramento (25-54) trailed by 12 points with 4:19 remaining in the fourth quarter after the Suns led by four after three quarters, but battled back with a chance to tie the game after forcing a turnover with 7 seconds to play. Bogdan Bogdanovic and Justin Jackson both misses potential game-tying 3-pointers before time expired.

Bogdanovic topped the Kings’ scoring column with 22 points, with Jackson adding 19 points and eight rebounds, as Sacramento has lost five of its last six contests.

Notes: Kings forward Skai Labissiere did not play due to an ankle sprain, and 20-year veteran Vince Carter sustained an undetermined injury trying to defend a drive to the basket in the second quarter, but later returned.

Up Next: The Kings’ road trip continues on Friday when they travel to Memphis to face the Grizzlies.

Patrick McCaw’s injury overshadows Warriors’ 112-96 win over Kings

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Photo credit: nba.com/warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors had three of their All-Stars back in the lineup Saturday night, and they looked like they were the defending champions. They won the game 112-94 over Sacramento, but all the air went out of the Golden 1 Arena with just 41 seconds left in the third quarter. Patrick McCaw, who had recently returned from a wrist injury, was seriously hurt going in for a layup. While he was in the air, he was brushed by the veteran player, Vince Carter. The force of Carter’s action caused McCaw to fly into the air, and he landed on his backside and was in immense pain. He rolled over on the floor twice, and everyone in the arena knew that McCaw was seriously hurt. The EMT people had to immobilize McCaw, and he was taken on a stretcher to UC Davis Medical Center for examination and tests. A member of the Warriors’ training staff went with him. Nothing was known about his condition after the game. Neither Steve Kerr nor any of the Warrior players felt that Carter’s foul was intentional. Carter apologized to McCaw and Carter participated in a team prayer with the Warrior players before play resumed. Steve Kerr spoke to the media about McCaw after the game. He made some comments about the injury, but did not discuss the game as he felt that was rather inappropriate.

However, a game was played, and the Warriors had Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green back in the lineup. Steph Curry was not able to play, and he will miss the last six games of the season. The Warriors were looking to snap a three-game losing streak, and they accomplished their goal. Thompson looked sharp. He wore a protective guard around his right thumb, and that did not appear to affect his shooting. He tallied 25 points and made three 3-point shots. Kevin Durant led the Warriors with 27 points, five assists, and 10 rebounds. Draymond Green was a force on the court and flirted with a triple-double. He recorded eight points, seven assists, and nine rebounds. Quinn Cook added 10 points.

The Warriors won the first half 57-49. They went on a 19-2 run midway through the first quarter to regain the lead and were never headed after that. As they have done so many times this year, they owned the third quarter. They outscored Sacramento, 36-20, in the period and had a 24-point lead heading into the fourth quarter. If the game could have been stopped at this point, the Warriors would have gladly ended the game. The Kings won the fourth quarter, but they couldn’t catch the Warriors.

Notes: Warriors chief operating officer Rick Welts was named to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, part of a 13-person class that also includes player development consultant and former MVP Steve Nash.

Up Next: The Warriors return home to Oracle Arena Sunday night to play the Phoenix Suns. Game time is at 5:30 pm PT.

 

Kings lose hard fought game to Pacers, 106-103

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Bogie vs Bogie
It was Bogdanovic vs Bogdanovic in this game! Photo: @Pacers

By: Jordan Chapin

SACRAMENTO- On one of the final home games of the season, the Kings put on quite a show against the playoff bound Indiana Pacers but didn’t have enough down the stretch as they fall to Indiana 106-103. After a sloppy game on Tuesday night against the Mavericks, Sacramento came out tonight, and really seemed like they were playing for their city. Led by the outstanding shooting nights of Buddy Hield and Bogdan Bogdanovic, the Kings were in it for the entirety of the game, but ran into an all-star by the name of Victor Oladipo.

Kings starting 5 vs Ind
Kings starting five vs Pacers Photo @SacramentoKings

Sacramento looked as good as they have this season in the first half of the ballgame. Willie Cauley-Stien was doing everything out on the floor before heading into the locker-room, including scoring 17 of his 19 points and shooting (9-of-10) from the field. The Kings outscored the Pacers bench 48 to 22 led by a 20 point night from Buddy Hield and Frank Mason doing a little bit of everything.

The second half of the game, the Kings continued to shoot the ball well and played hard, but the all-star, Victor Oladipo, began to show why he has led his team to the 5th-seed in the East. He finished his night with 24 points, five boards, and two assists, including the dagger 3-pointer that sealed the win for Indiana. Even after two crazy made baskets in the final seconds of the game by Hield and Bogdanovic, the Kings luck ran out as they fell 106-103.

Indiana sweeps the season series with the Kings, although it took a hard fought game from the Pacers to seal the win. The Kings will finish their six-game homestand on Saturday as the World Champion Golden State Warriors come to town. Fans were able to get into the game tonight and it really seemed like the Kings were playing for the Sacramento faithful. With only seven games remaining, the Kings will not surpass their win total of 32 from last season, but it seems they are truly playing for what is to come in the future.

Sports Headlines podcast with Tony Renteria: Black Lives Matter protests expected to march in downtown and to Kings game tonight

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Photo credit: @latimes

On the Sports Headlines podcast with Tony Renteria:

#1 The Black Lives Matter movement continues as the organization plans a march on downtown Sacramento tonight as well as protesting at the Indiana Pacers at Sacramento Kings game tonight at Golden 1 Center. Sacramento Police reportedly will be on had at the arena to prevent protesters from blocking protesters who succeeded in not allowing fans to enter games last Tuesday and Thursday.

#2 The lockdown of Golden 1 Center for last Thursday saw only small crowds estimated at 4,000 fans per game. Did the protesters make a point with their protests or has what they’be done so far been counter productive?

#3 Former Oakland quarterback David Humm who passed away on Wednesday at age 65 was in a wheelchair for the last few years and has had MS. Humm was a former Raiders broadcaster, and Tony takes a look at the life of Humm.

#4 Opening day for Major League Baseball as the San Francisco Giants are in Los Angeles to play the Dodgers and the Los Angeles Angels are in Oakland for the A’s. First daytime opening day since 1994.

Tony Renteria does the Sports Headlines each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

Kings fall to Mavs 103-97 as protests continue outside of Golden 1 Center

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mavs

By: Jordan Chapin

SACRAMENTO — As the season starts to wind down in the NBA, the protest are still in full swing here in Sacramento. For a second time, protesters stood outside of the Golden 1 Center and once again a lot of Kings faithful were not able to get in. Although there was a lot of action outside the arena, the same can not be said for what was going on inside as the Kings fell to the Mavericks 103-97.

Sacramento barely shot 40% from the field and a measly 26% from 3-point land. In a game the Kings trailed in for a majority of the time, there was one bright spot, Kosta Koufos. Kosta only played 14 minutes, but racked up 15 points on 7-for-10 shooting to go along with seven boards. The two point guards for Sacramento – Fox and Mason – combined for (3-for-23) from the field. The Dallas Mavericks led by as much as 16 points with heavy contributions from Harrison Barnes and Dennis Smith Jr..

For the fans that were able to get into the game, the Kings did make it interesting at the end as they cut a 15-point lead to a five-point lead in the last three minutes of the game, but they eventually lost the battle to the clock as they didn’t have enough time on it to squeak by the Mavs.

Sacramento has split the season series with Dallas, 2-2. The final attendance for tonight’s game was just over 4,000 people in an arena that holds over 17,000.

The Kings will return to the Golden 1 Center on Thursday, as they will see an old face in Darren Collison and face a playoff-bound Indiana Pacers.

The staff of Sports Radio Service is praying for and sends our condolences to the friends and family of Stephon Clark during this incredibly difficult time.

Stephon_Clark

 

Kings fall to Celtics 104-93 in first game after Black Lives Matter protests

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Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

By: Ana Kieu

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Boston Celtics came into Sacramento on Sunday. The last time the Sacramento Kings played here at Golden 1 Center, it was locked down due to protests.

On Sunday, however, the doors opened without any incidents as fans funneled in to see the Kings take on the Celtics.

These two teams could not be having different seasons. The Kings came into Sunday’s matchup at 24-49. Meanwhile, the Celtics are in second place in the Eastern Conference and have a record of 49-23. Sunday’s matchup was set for tip-off at 3:00 pm PST.

The Celtics won the tipoff and they were underway at 3:10 pm. The first four minutes were not very crisp basketball. Both the Kings and the Celtics tried to keep a handle on the ball. Willie Cauley-Stein was fouled with 6:29 to play in the first quarter and gave the Kings a 10-9 lead.

With 3:23 to go in the quarter, De’Aaron Fox slammed a dunk home with absolute authority. That followed by a three ball from Skal Labissiere put the Kings up 21-17. Both teams ended the first quarter with the Kings leading 27-24.

In the second quarter, the Celtics and Kings duked it out on the court. Not to mention that Duke and Kansas were also going at it during March Madness. Nearly at the halfway point in the second, the Kings had a 38-33 lead. Cauley-Stein and Bogdan Bogdanovic teamed up for a flashy alley-oop to give the Kings a 50-43 lead with 2:58 to go in the first half. The Kings added 10 more points before the end of the half to make it a 60-52 lead going into halftime.

The third quarter was when the Celtics retook the lead. Before they had even reached the halfway point in the third, the Celtics stormed back to snatch the lead. They continued to put up points, and at the 2:46 mark, the Celtics had a 74-68 lead. Buddy Hield was fouled with 1:01 to play in the third, and pulled the Kings within two, 78-76. At the conclusion of the third, the Celtics led 80-78.

In the fourth quarter, both teams would struggle to score with only 6:45 to play the game as the Celtics were on top 88-84 Celtics. Mason got a layup to fall to pull the Kings within two, 88-86. Though, the Celtics started to pull away, making the game a 97-86 match with 3:47 to play. The Celtics extended that lead to make it 104-91 with one minute to play.

At that point, the Kings conceded the game and the final was 104-93 Celtics over the Kings.

What’s Next?
The Kings stay home to host the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday at 7:00 pm PST.

The Celtics continue their road trip and head to Phoenix to face the Suns on Monday at 7:00 pm PST.

 

Protestors knock on arena doors, but Kings down Hawks 105-90

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Photo credit: nba.com/kings

By: Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —  It was a very interesting turn of events going into the game against the Sacramento Kings and Atlanta Hawks on Thursday evening. Instead of Kings basketball being center stage on Thursday, the Black Lives Matter movement in conjunction with the recent death of Stephan Clark was at the forefront. Clark, who was shot at with 20 bullets last Sunday outside his grandparents home, was featured on countless signs and banners being tended to by protesters. Clark was fatally shot after police believed the cell phone he was holding was a firearm. Chants of “Cell phones, don’t shoot!” and “Justice for Stephan Clark!” filled the concourse around all of the Golden 1 Center entrances.

In light of these protests, the Golden 1 Center was on lockdown. Therefore, only a few fans were able to attend the game inside since they entered before the arena entered lockdown status. Nonetheless, the Sacramento Kings and Atlanta Hawks played basketball.

So, after the turn of events preceding game time, the Kings took the floor. Sacramento jumped out to a quick lead early on in this game. Following a foul that sent De’Aaron Fox to the free throw line, the Kings were up 5-0 with 10:37 to play.

However, the Hawks responded by jumping out to a lead of their own. The Hawks took the lead by a 18-11 margin with 5:22 to go in the first quarter. The first quarter would continue to be a dogfight with the Kings ultimately pulling within three with a 28-25 disadvantage.

Going into the second, the Kings knew that they had some work to do. With the help of Vince Carter, Skal Labissiere, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Frank Mason, the Kings took a 41-38 lead with 3:25 left to play in the first half. The Kings added eight more points, and the Hawks added six to send the Kings to halftime with a 49-45 lead.

The Kings entered the third quarter up by five. Justin Jackson put the first points on the board in the third for the Kings by sinking a two-pointer to make it a 51-46 Kings lead. Jackson had a total of 11 points with 11:20 to play in the third quarter.

The Hawks battled through, and at one point, got within two points of the Kings, thanks to a triple. The third quarter had 8:48 to go and the game was 59-57 Kings.  Justin Jackson continued his hot shooting to compile 19 points with 2:13 left to play in the third and also gave the Kings a 70-67 lead. The third quarter ended with the Kings on top 80-71.

Entering the fourth quarter, the Kings looked as if they were unstoppable. The game bounced around for a good six minutes in the fourth with the Kings leading 93-82 with six minutes to play.

Neither team, up to this point, made any significant ground on the other. Kosta Koufos, Buddy Hield, and Frank Mason all had 12 points at this point in the game. From this point on in the game, the Kings were unable to commit wrongdoing. Some of the players were able to pad the stats, and the Kings came out victorious with a 105-90 win. It was a nice win for the Kings as the city and its fans has had to face some adversity in the last week.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to face the Boston Celtics on Sunday at 3 pm PST. The Hawks take a trip to the Bay Area to face the Warriors Friday at 7:30 pm PST.

Kings find schedule unrelenting, drop home game to the reeling Pistons

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Photo by Marco Estrada/USA Today Sports

By Morris Phillips

SACRAMENTO–Saturday, the Kings drew praise from the NBA’s hottest team in a narrow loss at Salt Lake City.

Back in Sacramento Monday, the Kings let the struggling Pistons capture just their second road win of 2018, losing 106-90 at Golden 1 Center.

And the moral of that story? The NBA schedule is unrelenting, and a sixth game in nine days will blunt the progress of any youthful squad otherwise in the process of a significant growth spurt.

The Pistons got back-to-back baskets from Blake Griffin to break a 57-57 tie midway through the third quarter and never trailed again, breaking their 12-game road, losing streak. Griffin led the way for Detroit with 26 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.

The Pistons hadn’t won on the road since beating the Nets in Brooklyn on January 10.

“This time of year, you’ll take it any way you can get it, but you get one on the road after being on the road for eight nights already — it’s always great,” Griffin said. “We took care of business and we have to go and do it again.”

The Kings failed to win for the fourth time in their last five home games in large part due to their deficiencies beyond the arc and at the free throw line. The Kings missed 17 of their 23 three-point attempts and made just four free throws (in nine attempts) in the game. The Pistons, with Griffin and Andre Drummond leading the way,  held a slight edge on the glass (44-39) along with significant advantages in made threes (14) and free throws (18 for 22).

The unrelenting schedule affected the Kings down the stretch on Saturday night against Utah when the Jazz pulled away for a 103-97 win, their 20th in their last 22 games. Afterwards, the Jazz complimented the Kings for their offensive tenacity and their ability to fashion several runs when Utah threatened to pull away. Against the Pistons, the Kings missed injured facilitator Bogdan Bogdanovich, and failed to capture any offensive flow.

“We talked about it this morning that it had a high probability of being a letdown game but it was a tough game for us,” Kings coach Dave Joerger said. “It’s that type of game we (have to) let roll off of us.”

Surprisingly, the Kings’ veterans put up far inferior numbers than their youthful teammates. The trio of Zach Randoloh, Garrett Temple and Kosta Koufos combined to miss 18 of 21 shots. Sacramento’s two rookie starters, Justin Jackson and De’Andre Fox, combined to make 15 of their 20 shots from the floor.

The Kings take a much-needed two days off before facing the Hawks on Thursday at Golden 1 Center.